Green Living - Recycling

 
 
 
Learn more about general benefits of recycling here, standard items to be recycled, and details about specialty items that can be recycled without ever leaving The Philadelphian.
 
When you're done here, click back to return to the main Green Living page.
 
Introduction
We are committed to reducing the amount of trash generated within our building by expanding our existing recycling program. Our “single stream” recycling system means that you can place all recyclables in the blue recycling bins same containers in your trash/recycling room or our common areas.  We routinely recycle about 30% of the waste that we generate.
 
The items we collect may vary over time based on the market our waste hauler receives for items that they send to processors to be made into new materials. Please pay attention to announcements and always follow the directions shown on the poster in your trash/recycling room and on the flyers that are posted in our mail room and other common areas. Place only the materials shown on the poster in our blue recycling bins.
 
Wipe and/or rinse recyclables to remove residual food and discourage unwanted pests.
 
Empty the recyclables from the plastic bag and put the plastic bag in the trash. Plastic bags are not recyclable until a process is found to do that in the future. Staff will remove your bag and the recyclables in it and put them in the trash. Flatten cardboard boxes to help our staff move efficiently.
 
Hey you! Were you paying attention? Do NOT place recyclables in plastic bags and deposit in the blue bins.
 
Recyclable items are basically metal, paper, and some plastics. 
 
Metal
  • Cans (beer cans, soup cans, you know, good old-fashioned cans!)
  • Empty aerosol cans (completely empty spray product into the trash, then recycle)
  • Food & beverage bottles and jars (don't even think about it! rinsed with lids removed!)
Paper
  • Cardboard boxes of any kind  (waxed liners go in the trash)
  • Newspapers (wow, you still subscribe to a newspaper?)
  • Magazines 
  • Office paper - white and colored
  • Wax-coated beverage cartons
  • Junk mail
  • Envelopes (manila and regular)
  • Telephone books (seriously, it's time to recycle your 2003 phone book)
  • Computer paper
  • Post-it Notes
  • Card stock paper
  • Paperback books
  • Hardback books without the covers
  • Parts of pizza boxes with no greasy stains (hey you! stained pizza boxes go in the trash)
  • Cardboard roll from towels or toilet paper
  • All light cardboard boxes
  • Greeting cards/wrapping paper without foil (with foil go in trash)
Plastic
Bottles, jars, jugs, yogurt/dairy cups marked nos. 1, 2 & 5 (hey you! yes, we mean you! please rinse containers out before you recycle them!)
 
  • All batteries (including hearing aid, phone, rechargeable, lithium, alkaline) can be recycled by dropping them off at the Environmental Services office each Wednesday
  • Drop computer printer cartridges at the Front Desk.
  • Deposit gently used clothes in the Goodwill bin located in the laundry room.
  • Deposit household items in the Goodwill bin located in the service corridor. 
  • Place computers, printers, and peripherals, all plug-in electronics, and small appliances like microwaves, vacuum cleaners, fans, etc. in working condition in the Goodwill bin located in the service corridor. 
 
 
 
Why Recycle?
  • Conserve resources for future generations.
  • Reduce greenhouse gas emissions that create global warming from landfills and mining raw materials. 
  • Provide a new supply of valuable raw materials to industry.
  • Create recycling jobs.
  • Stimulate the development of greener technologies.
  • Reuse saves energy.
  • Save extra fees for “trash-contaminated” recycling loads.
Did you know?
  • Recycled paper reduces virgin paper consumption by 60%.
  • Recycled steel saves 60% production energy.
  • Recycled newspaper saves 40% production energy.
  • Recycled plastics saves 70% production energy.
  • Recycled glass saves 40% production energy.
  • Incinerating 10,000 tons of waste creates 1 job. Land fill disposal of that amount creates 6 jobs.  Recycling the same amount creates 36 jobs!
  • Using scrap steel instead of virgin ore to make new steel uses 40% less water and creates 97% less mining waste.
Source: National Institute of Health  (www.nems.nih.gov)